Vocal Mastery eBook

Miss Hempel believes that every singer, no matter
how great, should realize the advantage of constant
advice from a capable teacher, in order to prevent
the forming of undesirable habits. She also considers
Vocal Mastery implies the perfection of everything
connected with singing; that is to say, perfect breath
control, perfect placement of the voice, perfect tone
production, together with all requisite grace, feeling
and expressiveness.

WITH THE MASTER TEACHERS

XXII

=DAVID BISPHAM=

THE MAKING OF ARTIST SINGERS

If we were asked to name one of the best known, and
best loved of American singers, the choice would surely
fall on David Bispham. This artist, through his
vocal, linguistic and histrionic gifts, his serious
aims and high ideals, has endeared himself to musicians
and music lovers alike. We are all proud of him
as an American, and take a sort of personal pride
in his achievements.

Mr. Bispham has been before the public as actor-singer
for many years. There is no other artist in the
English-speaking world who has had greater experience
in all kinds of vocal work than this “Quaker
Singer,” as he calls himself, for he comes from
Philadelphia, and is of old English, Quaker, Colonial
stock. His professional debut was made in London,
in 1891, with the Royal English Opera Company, as the
Duc De Longueville, in the beautiful Opera Comique,
The Basoche, by Messager. The following
year he appeared in Wagnerian Music Drama at the Royal
Opera, Covent Garden, performing the part of Kurwenal,
in Tristan and Isolde, without rehearsal.
His adaptability to music in English, French, Italian
and German, caused him to be at once accepted as a
member of that distinguished company.

In 1896, Mr. Bispham joined the forces of the Metropolitan
Opera House, New York, and remained there for a number
of years, singing each season alternately on both
sides of the ocean. Of recent years he has devoted
most of his time to concerts, though he is one of the
founders and officers of the Society of American Singers,
with which artistic body he frequently appears in
the classic operas of Mozart, Pergolesi, Donizetti
and others.

My first conference with Mr. Bispham was held in his
New York studio. Here, in this artistic retreat
where absolute quiet reigns, though located in the
heart of the great city’s busy life, the noted
singer teaches and works out his programs and various
characterizations.